THE DEATH AND LIFE OF

GREAT AMERICAN CITIES:

A PHOTO ESSAY

By: Andrew Tauskey

PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia is a very orthodox

and working city. Downtown

Philadelphia, or Center City, has

many noteworthy features that

allow it to meet many of Jane

Jacob’s standards, and is area is my

focus.

SIDEWALKS

Left: Pictured is a cozy section of Walnut

street. Walnut street is a bustling street that is

sure to be swarming with people during the

holiday season. The street is well lit,

surrounded by retail stores and restaurants, in

the heart of downtown Philadelphia, and is

very well kept. The sidewalks are clean and

endure the stress of much foot traffic each day.

Because of the health of the sidewalks, in

addition to the bordering stores, Walnut street

is a safe, fun place to be.

SIDEWALKS CONT.

Jacobs stressed that sidewalks serve

multiple purposes such as providing routes

for pedestrians along roads, as well as

providing a setting for social gathering. At

this location, just north of center city, the

sidewalk is very well kept, and there are

benches available for people’s use. This

pathway also does an excellent job of

providing outlet to the streets surrounding

this building.

SIDEWALKS CONT.

Sidewalks should always remain safe for

pedestrian use, even when the adjacent

buildings are under construction. This

section of sidewalk is well lit and

maintained, even though the building that

it touches is under construction.

PARKS- RITTENHOUSE

SQUARE

The park inside Rittenhouse square

fits Jacob’s model of an ideal park. As

shown in the picture, there is a

plethora of seating arrangements for

park goes. There are also many lights,

so the park is not prone to shady

activity.

PARKS CONT.

Rittenhouse park is a very well designed

park for many reasons. Just as Jacobs

prescribed, the park serves a connector

between different parts of the city. The

park is also very open, and has many

outlets. According to Jacobs, this feature is

imperative for the park’s safety and

accessibility.

PARKS CONT.

Jacobs places high value on the

maintenance and cleanliness of a

park. This garden in Rittenhouse

Square is very well kept and looks

attractive to onlookers.

PARKS CONT.

Another fundamental characteristic of a

good park is open space. Pictured to the

left is a large grassy area in Rittenhouse

Park that is used for relaxing and

socializing. As you can see, it is well

maintained. Just before I took out my

camera, there were three or four dogs

and dog-owners mingling in this area.

A RITTENHOUSE 360

One of the most important, if not the

most imperative aspect of a park, is it’s

surroundings. A single image couldn't

picture what I wanted to convey so I

took a video showcasing Rittenhouse’s

surroundings. The Park is surrounded

by 5 star hotels, classy restaurants,

beautiful apartment complexes, and

many retail stores including a Barnes

and Nobles.

ARCHITECTURAL

DIVERSITY

Jacobs argues that cities should have a

diverse selection of architecture. Older

buildings are usually home to older

establishments that are well known in the

community. This creates a support

network throughout the community.

Older buildings like City Hall are valued

because they represent the cities' history

and promote it’s culture.

ALLEYWAYS

Pictured to the left is a prime example of

an orderly alleyway. I think that Jacobs

devalued the importance of cleanliness

throughout the cities alleyways and

backstreets. Alleyways with garbage and

debris everywhere looks disgusting and

can cause sanitation issues.

MUNICIPAL AREAS

Jacobs stressed that areas within the city

should have multiple purposes. The plaza

surrounding the Philadelphia Municipal

Services building is a great example of

this. The area is a great place for official

gatherings as well as social meetings, or

even just to go have lunch. During the

holiday season, this area is home to

Christmas Village.

MUNICIPAL CONT.

Christmas Village is a very special place.

We owe it’s existence to the flexibility

of Philadelphia’s municipal areas. The

village itself contains many little shops

and stalls that generate revenue and also

promote traffic through the area. The

village also is very accessible, all features

that Jacobs would approve of.

SIDEWALKS CONT.

This is a view of South Broad street

as seen from City Hall. As you can

see, there are man people using the

sidewalk here in an orderly fashion.

Jacobs argues that sidewalk safety is

very important, and that sidewalks are

not to be deemed safe if they are not

used.

CONCLUSION

Philadelphia’s Center City area has many qualities that Jane Jacobs

would approve of. Rittenhouse square, a park located in east of

Center City, is a beautiful, well maintained, affluent, and functional

park. The sidewalks in center city are also well maintained and

regularly used. Also, Philadelphia’s municipal areas provide places for

people to relax and socialize, while having the capacity to hold official

and seasonal events, like Christmas village.